Naoko Shibusawa's article Femininity, race and betrayal: how “Tokyo Rose” became a traitor to the United States after the World War II, presents a historical analysis of the Toguri Trial of Aquino in the role of Tokyo Rose. Tokyo Rose was the pseudonym of an unidentified Japanese radio host who was hated in the United States during World War II. The author explains that Tokyo Rose was probably not a single person, but rather an identity employed by various English-speaking Japanese presenters. In 1947, Toguri D'Aquino, a Japanese American, was falsely convicted despite little evidence available, and prosecutors initially recommended that the case be dismissed. Shibusawa prevents a multifaceted and nuanced analysis of the historical factors that lead to this belief. This analysis would be stronger if he had more thoroughly justified both the inclusion of certain historical factors over others and his characterization of the people involved. Furthermore, his inclusion of “alternative histories” constitutes poor historiographical practice that hardly supports his thesis. But overall, his analysis is incredibly holistic and compelling. Additionally, her presentation of the event helps inform historians' understanding of the relationship between race and gender in the Pacific War. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In his article, Shibusawa attempts to answer the historical question; What social and political factors led the U.S. government to pursue and convict Toguri so relentlessly when there was little evidence and despite the fact that she did not fit the profile of Tokyo Rose? To answer this question, he presents several social and political influences that led to Toguri's conviction. Primarily, the sensationalist war stories about race and gender perpetuated by the media made her an ideal target. It highlights the media's role in demonizing Japanese female sexuality as treacherous and dangerous, and in creating an expectation of passive patriotism on the part of Japanese women. A combination of these two factors leads to a distrust of Toguri's active patriotism. However, he also highlights political factors, asserting: "The media's reinforcement of popular ideas about feminized and orientalized betrayal operated in tandem with the prosaic and political motivations of the key figures in his case." The political climate of the Cold War, which emphasized loyalty and condemned traitors, strongly motivated the U.S. government to pursue its cause. Essentially, it asserts that American conceptions of race and gender created during World War II influenced the American government's view of and response to the traitor. Shibusawa's argument; that media narratives regarding gender and race heavily influenced the case is strong. He explains the importance of the character Tokyo Rose, as a representation of the American view of the inscrutability of the Japanese and the dangerous femininity of Japanese women. Additionally, he explains that the media perpetuated the idea that Japanese-American women should show their patriotism through passive loyalty and cooperation. Therefore, the active patriotism of women such as Toguri did not engender trust, leading to her demonization despite her impeccable record. However, although he mentions it, Shibusawa does not adequately address the role played by Toguriherself. He explains; “Toguri signed a contract that Brundidge drew up designating her as “the only and original ‘Tokyo Rose’ broadcasting from Radio Tokyo” without “any female assistants or replacements.” However, he only includes this incredibly significant detail in his account of events and does not consider it a factor in his analysis. Additionally, he claims that the only evidence against her was "the false testimony that the FBI extorted from two of Toguri's Japanese colleagues," despite the fact that this signed contract appears to have surfaced in court. Additional evidence demonstrating that his confession did not have a large impact on the government's selection of its candidate for prosecution or his subsequent conviction would have strengthened Shibusawa's argument that social and political influences played a role crucial in this matter. Overall, the author's nuanced intersectional analysis of the relationship between American conceptions of femininity and Japanese racial character makes her explanation of why Toguri was targeted very compelling. However, it would have been stronger if it had provided evidence downplaying other factors. Shibusawa's presentation of political factors, in addition to social factors, in the case makes his analysis historically holistic. He argues that the Cold War led to a national accentuation of loyalty and hatred of traitors, which explains why the Tokyo Rose case was reopened after being dismissed earlier. The inclusion of this explanation broadens his analysis to answer not only the question of why Toguri was convicted, but also why the U.S. government chose to pursue the case. However, his dismissal of the postwar desire to justify internment as a factor seems unfounded given this holistic approach. Additionally, although it addresses the changing political climate due to the Cold War, it does not consider how America's racial view of the Japanese may have also changed during this period, as they became allies in the fight against communism. Shibusawa's consideration of multiple factors makes his analysis sound, but he fails to fully justify the emphasis on these factors over others, although his use of evidence is strong. Shibusawa's inclusion of alternative histories to justify his conclusion weakens his argument. For example, he presents alternative candidates who could have been prosecuted but were not, such as Manilla Rose and Axis Sally. He also claims that Tokyo Rose could have had an "alternate history as a heroine, even back then." The idea that, by looking back, a historian could understand what “could have” happened and why it did not happen is not convincing. Therefore, the inclusion of these alternatives does little to support his analysis of actual events. Shibusawa's claims show a strong similarity to those made by John Dower in War Without Mercy. Specifically, both authors argue that racial stereotypes associated with the Japanese influenced the U.S. government's treatment of Japanese Americans during and after the war. Both sources claim that these stereotypes have resulted in negative treatment toward members of these subpopulations. Fujitani's essay Right To Kill, in contrast, argues that the government's wartime use of bio-power caused the Japanese to move from the outside to the inside of the American population and suffer passive rather than active racism. Shibusawa's assertion that Toguri was considered racially alien, and therefore traitorous, after the.